Friction shifters and barrel adjusters
01-17-23, 10:50 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,872
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 598 Post(s)
Liked 283 Times
in
194 Posts
Friction shifters and barrel adjusters
I recently installed a Friction bar end shifter for my front triple derailleur and shifting is working fine but was curious to know, do you feel there is any added benefit for installing an inline barrel shifter as well (no braze ons for standard barrel adjuster) ? In other words, is fine tuning cable tension important with a front friction shifter ? As always, thank you for your input.
01-17-23, 11:20 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,096 Times
in
742 Posts
Assuming you pulled most of the slack out of the cable and tightened the fastening bolt adequately when you installed the shifter, there is no need for a barrel adjuster with friction shifting. I have four bikes, all with friction front shifting and triple cranks. I've never used the barrel adjusters for anything but cable housing stops.
01-17-23, 01:16 PM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Bastrop Texas
Posts: 4,480
Bikes: Univega, Peu P6, Peu PR-10, Ted Williams, Peu UO-8, Peu UO-18 Mixte, Peu Dolomites
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 967 Post(s)
Liked 1,629 Times
in
1,045 Posts
I have had a few inline barrel shifters in my tool box for years. The only bike I have needed one on is using a vintage Campy Rally derailleur. I would say buy a few and keep them in the box till ya need um...
__________________
No matter where you're at... There you are... Δf:=f(1/2)-f(-1/2)
No matter where you're at... There you are... Δf:=f(1/2)-f(-1/2)
01-17-23, 01:29 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 12,906
Bikes: (2) ti TiCycles, 2007 w/ triple and 2011 fixed, 1979 Peter Mooney, ~1983 Trek 420 now fixed and ~1973 Raleigh Carlton Competition gravel grinder
Mentioned: 129 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4806 Post(s)
Liked 3,931 Times
in
2,556 Posts
I'll second the above. FD shifting when friction is pretty darn simple. You need a slack enough cable that the FD can relax completely for downshifts. (And you hardly need a barrel adjust to ensure slack.) Nice if there isn't more slack so you don't have to lift to start the shift but if you do, so what? (Well, things get a little more critical with old, large cable pull FDs, small barreled shifters with little pull and triple cranksets. Lever might fold all the way back and still not lift the chain onto the big ring.)
01-17-23, 01:31 PM
#5
It's MY mountain
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Mt.Diablo
Posts: 10,002
Bikes: Klein, Merckx, Trek
Mentioned: 70 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4338 Post(s)
Liked 2,981 Times
in
1,617 Posts
True, no need, but it does help make initial setup a little easier - make it a little too loose when you attach the cable and then tweak with the adjuster.
Likes For DiabloScott:
01-19-23, 06:59 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Northern Shenandoah Valley
Posts: 4,141
Bikes: More bikes than riders
Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1446 Post(s)
Liked 762 Times
in
570 Posts
I was going to suggest this as well -- it may be useful to fine-tune cable slack at the fully relaxed end...but indeed not necessary.
01-19-23, 07:15 AM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Baltimore, MD
Posts: 5,374
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2483 Post(s)
Liked 2,955 Times
in
1,678 Posts
Bike racers who competed during the era when down-tube shifters were the only game in town would sometimes deliberately leave the front derailleur cable with a good amount of slack. That meant that the front derailleur would shift the chain to the inner ring well before the left lever reached its forward limit. The benefit was that the lever was positioned in easy reach of the right thumb for quick and easy one-handed shifts of both derailleurs.
[Edit:] Just reread the OP and realized that the question has to do with bar-end shifters. Never mind!
[Edit:] Just reread the OP and realized that the question has to do with bar-end shifters. Never mind!
Last edited by Trakhak; 01-19-23 at 07:21 AM.
